Children face night-time ban

CHILDREN have been banned from Barnsley at night in a crackdown on ‘rowdy, inconsiderate and abusive behaviour’.

Under-16s will be excluded from the town centre between 9pm and 6am, if they are not with an adult, South Yorkshire Police said.

The force and Barnsley Council applied for the six-month order, which will also give police powers to disperse groups of two or more people from anti-social behaviour blackspots.

Rowdy night-time revellers or football fans could be targeted too.

Inspector Julie Mitchell said: “Many interventions have been put in place by the police and partners, and, although some measures have had some success, nuisance behaviour still persists on an almost daily basis.

“The common theme that appears to cause the most concern is rowdy, inconsiderate and abusive behaviour.”

She said bad behaviour meant some people felt ‘harrassed’ or intimidated, but civil liberties campaigners have criticised the move.